Canada _ (Commonwealth Union) _ According to the Public Health Agency of Canada, Canadians caught breaking federal COVID-19 quarantine guidelines racked up at least $15 million in fines this year, although it’s unclear how much of that will be paid. In the fall, in response to a request from Conservative MP Eric Duncan, the agency gave data to the House of Commons.
Duncan did not reply to a request for comment. This year witnessed the broad removal of Canada’s COVID-19 health regulations. Until October, travelers were expected to follow testing and quarantine procedures based on their vaccination status, as well as upload their public health information via the ArriveCan app.
The guidelines altered over the course of the year as public health officials responded to shifting COVID-19 case counts. The persistent limitations have also irritated some tourists and individuals in the tourism sector, who claim they are having a negative impact on commerce.
The data from the Public Health Agency of Canada includes British Columbia, Ontario, Manitoba, and Atlantic Canada. It excludes information from Saskatchewan, Alberta, and the territories since those governments did not pass the necessary laws to levy the penalty. Its province-by-province breakdown also excludes Quebec, where penalties are issued by provincial prosecutors.
Between January and August, 3,614 tickets were issued under the federal Quarantine Act, which was utilized by the federal government to implement border restrictions to limit the spread of the virus. These fines totaled $14.8 million, with sums ranging from $825 to $5,000 depending on the offense. A single ticket may occasionally encompass many offenses.
The majority of the penalties were assessed in Ontario, which not only has the most people but also has the country’s busiest airport and land border crossing with the United States. During the eight-month period, a total of 2,672 tickets were distributed.
